Hmm, so I guess games like Monopoly, Chess, draughts, and backgammon are out of the question, Tamar?
Those games can get pretty competitive, there's no doubt about it.
I've played chess and Monopoly since I was very young. For me as a young person, chess had an irresistible fascination - the whole idea of a battle across a two-dimensional plane was always very interesting.
As I matured and learned more about the game - openings, tactics, strategy, endgames - my play improved, and eventually I started to win at tournaments, as well as participating in team tournaments at university.
Obviously, having a ticking clock at your side while playing adds to the challenge and excitement of the game; can you make your moves before your time runs out? (In tournaments, the standard time controls are 40 moves in 90 minutes per player. If the game's not over by then, add another 20 moves in 20 minutes per player, then 20 in 10 etc.)
Competitive chess is great fun - nerve-wracking, but fun. But in addition to the sporting element, there's an element of art to the game as well: brilliant tactics and/or sacrifices to force checkmate (or even just a better position) are almost always beautiful.
Lastly, there's an element of science involved - the calculation element! For instance: "Let's see - my position's pretty desperate. If I do nothing, I'll just get crushed. What if I move to A? Well, that threatens checkmate - can he stop it? Well, he can if he moves to B, but my position's improved anyway. But wait! What if he moves to C instead? Then I'm forced to move to D, and he moves to E, and I may as well resign. Can I do A anyway? Should I risk it? Maybe not. What else do I have? Nothing much ... hmm. Shall we try it? Let's try it. What's the worst that can happen? Let's threaten him, and see what he does."
The above is a pretty simple demonstration of calculation in chess, just to show what it's like. In reality, it can get pretty complicated (sometimes 5 or even 10 moves ahead - although that's rare). Most of the time, I don't have to think more than one or two moves in advance.
For beginners, chess can teach many positive things: patience, problem solving, abstract reasoning, sportsmanship, creative thinking, pattern recognition, calmness under pressure, and strategic thinking. It improves your memory and verbal skills. It teaches you to believe in yourself and not to give up: for instance, if your plan goes wrong and you end up in a bad position on the board, you can either give up - or calm down, start afresh, analyse your position and your opponent's threats, and find a way out, if it exists. All these skills are transferable to everyday life.
Anyway, I've been going on and on for a while - so I'll give someone else a go.
